Mrtka’s overage WHL year with Seattle was a mixed bag. He posted 34 points in 43 games – functional production for a defenseman of his profile – but an eight-game AHL stint with Rochester exposed real gaps in his defensive game: late to recover on the rush, slow to react, and decision-making that lagged behind the speed of pro play despite his considerable physical advantages. The tools at 6-6 and 218 pounds are genuinely rare, but translating them into consistent defensive effectiveness against men has proven more complicated than his junior dominance suggested.

Mrtka has officially signed his entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres. This means that next year, he will be playing for the Sabres or back in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds. Since his last updates, Mrtka has put on 20 lbs and is filling into his frame more and more. As an incredibly toolsy defenseman, Mrtka has the upside of being one of the most unique players in the NHL. Players of Mrtka’s stature who can skate like he does are scarce. Mrtka is very projectable to the NHL, too, which means we could see him getting minutes as soon as the end of this season. Mrtka’s bread and butter is his defensive game, so there is a world where he becomes the Sabres’ top pairing defenseman alongside Rasmus Dahlin, which could allow for Mrtka to let Dahlin get more creative and pick up more points along the way. However, this is not to knock Mrtka, as he could run his defensive unit at the NHL level with the proper development. Overall, Mrtka is one of the most intriguing prospects in the game today and could be a massive part of the Sabres’ future.

Selected ninth overall, Radim Mrtka is now a member of the Buffalo Sabres.

Mrtka has shot up boards since moving to the WHL, quashing a lot of doubt about how his game would adjust to the North American ice. If anything, Mrtka has looked even more at home in Seattle, using his reach, proactive approach, strong rush defence habits, and high-end defensive zone awareness to be a smothering defenseman. There’s a lot of runway for Mrtka, even despite his NHL ready habits and frame. He could still get a little bit stronger, which will only aid him in board battles and net front battles. If he pans out, Mrtka could blossom into a 1B, all-situations defenceman.

The ceiling remains intriguing if the skating and processing develop – the frame alone puts him in rare company for the position. But the near-term outlook is a limited-minutes, bottom-pair defender while he continues to adjust. Whether Buffalo has the patience to let him develop at his own pace remains to be seen. A long-term hold in dynasty.

Final Rankings – Going from playing pro hockey in Czechia to the WHL managed to help Mrtka’s stock as he showed his game does it’s best when he’s given more ice time. A big 6-6 defenseman with strong skating and creativity in transition, Mrtka’s been an effective playmaker and shutdown defender who can play with a physical edge. Mrtka still has some ways to go in his hockey sense and maturity, needing to tidy up his game in order to be a top-four defenseman, though its not unrealistic to think he can hit that upside.—